According to ESPN, Novak Djokovic of Belgrade, Serbia has set the ATP record for most weeks at number one in the world at 311. Djokovic breaks the record previously set by Roger Federer of Basel, Switzerland at 310 weeks.
Djokovic has now been ranked first in the world for 36 straight weeks. Rafael Nadal of Manacor, Spain was the last player ranked number one in the world, as he held the spot in February of 2020. The time period excludes the four months the tennis rankings were frozen due to the tennis lockdown of 2020 because of coronavirus.
Djokovic was the 25th player in men’s tennis history to be ranked first in the world. He was ranked first for 53 straight weeks from July 4, 2011 to July 2012. That was followed by 48 straight weeks from November 5, 2012 to October 6, 2013, 122 straight weeks from July 7, 2014 to November 6, 2016, and 52 straight weeks from November 5, 2018 to November 3, 2019.
Federer still holds the men’s tennis record for most consecutive weeks ranked number one in the world. He was first for 237 straight weeks from February 2, 2004 to August 17, 2008. According to ESPN, Djokovic was guaranteed to be ranked number one in the world at this time when he won the Australian Open last February. In the final, Djokovic defeated Daniil Medvedev of Russia 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Federer is making tennis headlines this week as he is returning to the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha. In his second-round match after a first-round bye, he will be facing Daniel Evans of Great Britain. This will be Federer’s first match since the 2000 Australian Open. He has missed the last 13+ months because of knee surgeries.
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